Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
This Peanut Butter Mousse Pie features a crunchy graham cracker-peanut crust filled with light and luscious peanut butter mousse. The pie is topped with a cloud of whipped cream and crunchy honey roasted nuts.
Table of contents
About this recipe
Because we can’t have too many pies in the world, and because we can’t have too many peanut butter desserts, I give you Peanut Butter Mousse Pie!
Although you might think of mousse as a fancy or fussy dessert, once you understand the basic concept of it you’ll realize it’s quite simple. Really, it is.
A mousse is simply a thick and highly flavored base lightened with whipped eggs and/or cream. The mousse needs to be stabilized so it holds it shape when served.
When you make Chocolate Mousse, the chocolate will set the mousse as it solidifies. If you make a frozen mousse like my Key Lime Frozen Souffe, the freezer does the work for you.
This recipe employs gelatin to stabilize the mousse. But only enough gelatin so a slice holds it shape but is still soft and luscious.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- I spread a layer of hot pepper jelly under the peanut butter mousse because I adore the sweet-heat combination.
- Use your favorite grape or strawberry jelly for a more traditional PB&J flavor combination.
- Instead of jelly use melted chocolate or Dark Chocolate Ganache under the mousse.
- If you’re a purist, skip the jelly and chocolate and go for the full peanut butter flavor without any other distractions.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the ground peanuts. Add sugar and melted butter.
- Press the crumbs into a pie plate and bake until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Spread an optional layer of jelly or chocolate on the crust.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over cool water and set it aside to bloom.
- Whisk together the yolks, sugar and vanilla.
- Whisk the yolks over simmering water until warm.
- “Ribbon” the yolks (whisk until the yolks leave a “ribbon” over the surface).
- Add some of the peanut butter to the eggs and whisk to combine.
- Add the remaining peanut butter.
- Add some of the whipped cream to lighted the peanut butter base.
- Fold in the rest of the cream.
- “Liason” the gelatin into the mousse.
- Pour the mousse into the crust and chill until set.
- Top the pie with whipped cream.
- Finish with chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Work Ahead Tips
To work ahead, fill the crust with the mousse up to two days ahead. Once the mousse is set cover the pie with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep the surface from drying out. Add the whipped cream and nut topping the day you’re serving the pie.
Storage
Keep the pie chilled until serving. The pie will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
More recipes like this
Now that you’ve made this recipe what should you do with all the extra egg whites? Check out this collection of recipes that use extra whites for some great ideas.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker/Peanut Crust
- 2 ½ oz honey roasted peanuts (½ cup)
- 5 oz graham cracker crumbs (1 ¼ cup)
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 3 oz butter (melted)
- 1 cup any flavor jelly (or 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (see note))
Peanut Butter Mousse
- 2 oz cool water (¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons gelatin powder
- 16 oz heavy cream (2 cups)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 oz creamy peanut butter (1 ½ cups)
Assembly
- 12 oz heavy cream (1 ½ cups)
- 1 oz confectioner’s sugar (¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ oz honey-roasted peanuts (¼ cup coarsely chopped)
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Place 2 ½ oz honey roasted peanuts in a food processor and pulse until they're ground to a chunky powder. Add 5 oz graham cracker crumbs and 2 oz granulated sugar and pulse until combined. Sprinkle 3 oz butter (melted) over the crumbs and pulse to combine. Pour the crumbs into a 9" pie plate. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Take the pan out of the oven and press down any puffy spots and press to close any gaps in the crust. If using chocolate, sprinkle the chopped chocolate onto the warm crust and let it melt. Spread the chocolate. Cool to room temperature. If using the jelly instead of chocolate, spread it onto the cooled crust. Chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the pie.
Make the Mousse
- Place 2 oz cool water into a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatin powder over the water, whisk briefly to combine and set aside to bloom.
- Whip 16 oz heavy cream to soft peak and set in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Combine 5 large egg yolks and 4 oz granulated sugar in a mixer bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Set the bowl with the yolks over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch. Move the bowl to the mixer (or use a hand mixer) and whisk until the yolks are completely cooled and have lightened in color and texture.
- Whisk ⅓ of 14 oz creamy peanut butter into the yolk mixture until smooth. Add the remaining peanut butter in two batches. Whisk ½ the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Whisk in the remaining cream until it's about ½ way incorporated.
- Heat the bloomed gelatin in the microwave in 10 second increments until it’s hot to the touch (just 20 seconds in my microwave). Working quickly, add a cup of the mousse to the warmed gelatin
- Whisk immediately until completely combined. Pour the gelatin mixture back into the mousse. Immediately whisk until the mousse is smooth and the gelatin is evenly incorporated.
Assembly
- Pour the peanut butter mousse into the chilled crust. Spread to an even layer. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours to set the mousse.
- Whip 12 oz heavy cream to full peak with 1 oz confectioner’s sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Pipe or spread the cream onto the filling, sprinkle 1 ¼ oz honey-roasted peanuts (chopped) over the cream.
- Serve chilled.
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Omg yummy!
How long does the mousse last in the fridge?
Do you mean the assembled pie? The mousse should go into the pie crust as soon as it’s mixed so it can set in the shell. The mousse will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator either before or after the cream is added. The cream might start to weep out some liquid after a day or so.
Thanks! I made the mousse for a cake filling and had some leftover. I folded whipped egg whites in the mousse to make it lighter and it turned out great! It’s so delicious and the perfect filling for my chocolate cake!
Yes, the mousse would be amazing in chocolate cake. As far as left overs, I would say 2-3 days in the fridge or you can freeze it for longer term. I have frozen Lemon Mousse lots of times.